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Friday, 31 October 2014

Today's post is about some fantastic news for all of the CND Shellac Ice Vapor lovers out there as it's coming back for a limited time only in an unbelievable special offer with Ruby Ritz!

I can hardly contain myself to tell you that when you buy CND Shellac in Ruby Ritz and Ice Vapor (aka The Sparkle Duo Set) you will receive FREE:

1x bottle of Shellac Wild Fire

1x bottle of Shellac Frosted Glen

1x CND Blush Bronze Additive

That's over £25 worth of products, absolutely free !! (Is your jaw dropping yet? Mine was when I heard about this offer!)

Just in case you haven't got one of these I thought I'd go through the shades and show you some swatches of them all but of course there are a ton of colour combinations that you could create with each of them.

I'll start with CND Shellac Ruby Ritz which is the swatch in the centre of the photo with the watermark over it. It is a slightly sheer red with stunning fine red glitter in it. I have recently written a post on the various amazing layering options that you can do with it, click here to read it.

Next up is CND Shellac Wild Fire is number 20 on the above colour chart. It is the perfect pillarbox red cream shade. For the clients that want the bright red glitter look I will apply two coats of Wild Fire and one coat of Ruby Ritz. This allows you to get the depth of the red as well as make your bottle of Ruby Ritz go a little further.

The above swatch is CND Shellac Ice Vapor which a clear with a mix of fine silver glitter and holographic chunky glitter. This shade looks good with anything! If you have a couple of less colours a layer of Ice Vapor over it and my clients are drawn towards it!

The next swatch is Shellac Frosted Glen which is a slightly olive toned mid green with a little shimmer. This colour is a perfect option for those clients that 'don't do red and pinks' and looks good with gold nail art.

The last swatch is of CND Additive in Blush Bronze that I have faded over Shellac Black Pool. This additive is the perfect rose gold and would look amazing paired with the Lecente Stardust Collection or CND Glided Dreams Collection.

This special offer is on whilst stock lasts. You can order online from Sweet Squared from 1st November 2014 for delivery but for those of you that simply can't wait for the delivery you can click and collect from Creative Academy Manchester to collect as soon as they open on Monday morning!

I love the sleek dark mauve packaging with the chrome finished. The first thing I noticed was how pigmented they were straight away and the amazing colour selection.

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Ravishing Rose, Lust For Blush and Siren In Scarlet

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I always do the same thing when I buy a few lipsticks! I will buy a red, a muted pink and then either a bright or a light pink so that I have a selection to choose from, depending on my mood!﻿

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Ravishing Rose, Lust For Blush and Siren In Scarlet

As they have a matte finish they're lasting power is brilliant, I would probably say around four hours which is fairly typical as at that point you're probably then going to eat and drink something. The best part is that they are so creamy that despite them being matte, they actually don't dry my lips out at all.

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Siren In Scarlet, Lust For Blush and Ravishing Rose (swatches)

﻿﻿﻿The bottom line is.... I love these lipsticks which I would say in terms of quality are identical to MAC! I'm excited for them to hopefully be released here as well and I would highly recommend you try them out for yourself!

Wednesday, 29 October 2014

I want to start this post by saying that throughout the year I actually don't buy an awful lot of make up. I probably do buy a little more than the average Joe but not that much. Since I generally always end up in the States in October I tend to save my purchases for things that I cannot get here, rightly or wrongly it does give me a buzz to wear 'special make up.'

I appreciate I have bought a ton of stuff here but take this haul for what it is, inspiration for what to buy if you're heading over to the states or live there and have some money to burn!

Tuesday, 28 October 2014

As we reach the end of October it's likely that nail techs and their clients start thinking towards Christmas nails. Red sparkles are always going to be hit for this time of year and limited edition shade CND Shellac Ruby Ritz continues to be favourite since it's release alongside Tinsel Toast in Christmas 2012.

Shellac Ruby Ritz is currently available through Creative Academy Manchester and online through Sweet Squared in a 'Perfect Pair' duo along with Wild Fire. I highly recommend this set as you can save on the limited edition set by using two coats of Wild Fire for the base of the colour and then only one layer of Ruby Ritz to create that bright red sparkle effect.

That aside, Ruby Ritz is an amazing shade to go over many others for a unique look so I wanted to share with you some of my favourites!!

I'll go through the combinations which are left to right on the above photo.

Monday, 27 October 2014

Some might think that turquoise stone nails are only for summer. To me, autumn and winter are the time for dark shades and jewelled effect designs. The truth be known, I wanted to come up with an idea to use my CND Additive in Black as if I'm honest as it's the one I neglect.

Having watched various techniques over the summer which involved a sponge, cellotape, water, nail polishes and hairspray, I wanted to find a quicker method to get a similar result but more practical for a busy salon.

So, I shall tell you what I did!!

Apply a base coat and cure.

Apply a colour coat and cure (I used CND Shellac in Cerulean Sea.)

Apply a second colour coat but do not cure.

I then took a dotting tool, I dipped it into the pot of CND Additive in Black and then I flicked it onto the uncured Shellac to create a random speckled effect.

I took a piece of the backing from a sculpting form and I patted it into the nail a few times which spread the Additive out.

I finally cured the colour coat, applying the top coat, curing and removing the sticky layer.

I'm so pleased with the result, it was a quick but beautiful effect that would be great with black nails or perhaps purple nails. You could also use this method to create other interesting designs with different colours but I highly recommend you stick with CND Additives that are actual pigments as the more sheer shades and glitters aren't quite as effective.

Sunday, 26 October 2014

At the start of the month, before I went on holiday I had the intention of cancelling all beauty boxes apart from GlossyBox as I was a little sick and tired of having to choose products that didn't excite me. I tried to cancel Love Me Beauty but the evening I tried to do it their site was down for maintenance so I couldn't.

I love that they have changed their packaging and the cotton bag and box that the products now come in. That aside, I'll leave you with the video!

Saturday, 25 October 2014

I thought I'd share with you a set that I did today. Ali wanted to match her black and white outfit for tonight's event with a little gold to correspond with her jewellery.

She had looked through photos online and picked a ton of designs that she liked but then had the difficult decision on deciding which ones she actually wanted! Eventually she decided on three favourites and then we worked with those to incorporate the colours she wanted.

I applied Shellac Cream Puff to her middle finger and thumb and Shellac Black Pool to the rest. After curing I then drew the relevant design on each nail and applied the limited edition Shellac Tinsel Toast to her ring finger and gold foil shards to her index finger.

Thursday, 23 October 2014

Today's post is my most recent work. My mum suffers from thin and splitting nails. She's been wearing the more sheer Shellac shades for a while now which is protecting them for her so when it came time to change it up for her I decided to go with something a little different. You did read that correctly, I did decide to do something different as she just lets me do what I want providing it's not black!

This time I decided to apply a layer of CND Brisa Lite Smoothing Gel for the first time for her, underneath her Shellac as her thumb needs a little something extra for strength and I decided that her other nails would benefit from it as well.

Over the CND Brisa Lite Smoothing Gel is CND Shellac in Beau with Lecente Stardust Collection in 'Neptune.' I then used CND Shellac in Wild Fire and Lush Tropics to paint the roses on her ring finger, finishing with a top coat.

Wednesday, 22 October 2014

I got back from Florida on Saturday morning so now that I have had a chance to sort out my suitcases I can show you what I bought from Sally's Beauty Supply and other stores for nails. For those of you who love Bath & Body Works I have already uploaded a Candle Haul here.

I'm really happy with what I bought and reviews will be coming as and when I get a chance to properly try them.

The nails I'm wearing in the video are here which I totally forgot to say, just in case you've missed me mention them on Facebook. Please come follow my page for regular updates.

Tuesday, 21 October 2014

I've had something in my mind for my nails for a little while so when I returned back from Florida I was keen to remove my Minnie and Mickey nails to make my thoughts actually happen. The truth is, I'm unsure if I've drawn a very big cherry or a juicy apple but either way, I'm pleased!

I applied CND Shellac in Black Pool to all nails apart from the ring finger which I painted in Cream Puff. I then apply the discontinued Shellac shade, Mother Of Pearl over my index and ring finger, if you don't have this then you could sprinkle a little glitter or an additive like Sizzling Sands over it. My index finger has Cheeky Plate B on it in white and I drew the cherry apple with Red Baroness, Cream Puff, Lush Tropics, Faux Fur and Blackpool.

Monday, 20 October 2014

I arrived home on Saturday with a delivery from GlossyBox and I have to admit I was intrigued immediately with the yellow pop art outer box. I then remembered that last month they included a 'sneak peek' for this months box with was a full size Nuxe Masque so then I got really excited!

I'm still on the fence about keeping my beauty box subscriptions up. I do feel like my favourite is GlossyBox so it would be hard to let it go just in case I miss out but that aside, this month's box was good.

Sunday, 19 October 2014

Everyone that knows me knows that I adore Bath & Body Works candles. In particularly it's the 3 wick versions that are truly the best as they're better value for money compared to their mini and mason jar versions. I knew there was a few of their fall/winter scents that they always release at this time that I just had to have, mainly 'Fresh Balsam' for Christmas Day and my two all time favourites, 'Winter' and 'Sparkling Icicles.'

I always think fragrances are a very different thing to describe to another person but equally I like watching these types of videos as if you're going to purchase a candle it's good to see what others rave about.

Saturday, 18 October 2014

As my blog grows I want you to have a sense of my personality and who I am so today's post is 20 random facts about me!

1. When we were little my brothers had bunk beds. I used to get
towels and hang them off the top bunk downwards with a gap in the middle
to create walls for the lower bunk. I would then pretend it was an ice
cream van or sometimes I would climb onto the top bunk and pretend it
was a double decker bus.

2.
I am an excellent 'namer' of things. My parents say even when I was
little I always had a skill of calling my cuddly toys and all of my
dolls names. I could easily come up with excellent pet names too!

3.
When I was around 8 years old I was running down the playground with
some friends and a group of boys kicked a football which got caught
under my legs and I fell which took a chunk out of my knee so that I
could actually see my kneecap.... eeeeee.

4. I assume that my favourite number is 3 as I was born at 3pm and on the third of the third.

5.
When I was young I gave a girl in school a leather bracelet in exchange
for Robbie Williams' phone number. There are so many funny things when
you think about that, the first one being why I believed she had his number,
the second being what on earth I was actually going to do with it and
the final one being that I didn't have a phone.

6. When I was 18
my boyfriend at the time was a policeman. A rare night out into
Liverpool with my friends ended up with him and his partner picking me
up in a police riot van to take me home which he would possibly have
gotten into a lot of trouble for but in my slightly tipsy state I thought it was hilarious. Mum was worried about what it looked like to the neighbours....!

7. I have over 50 perfumes as I have an obsession with fragrance.

8.
I will defend those who I love without a concern for myself. When I
was in my teens there was a girl who was a little bit on the crazy side
and had been rumoured to have brought a knife into school (who knows if
that was true!) One day she started picking on my friend which was
getting more and more heated. Eventually I figured she was going to hit
her so I stood in front of her and got kicked in my thigh so hard it
left a bruise in a perfect shape of her shoe. I suppose looking back
it's lucky that she didn't have a knife on her after all but thankfully
she was expelled and has since seen me around and apologised.

9. Although I have been to Toronto and we went over to Niagara Falls, I would love to explore the Vancouver side of Canada.

10. My first pet was a hamster called Frosty (we got him on a Frosty day!)

11. I love the 'Real Housewives Of' and most of the States. I particularly like Orange County, Atlanta and Beverley Hills however I did randomly see Vancouver I think it was and loved that as well. I also like Vanderpump Rules.

12. My favourite food is Italian, I adore pasta!

13. My favourite season is autumn, I love that time of year where as everything cools down and you can get all snugly.

14. I would definitely prefer to be too cold than too warm (within reason!)

15.
One of my favourite quotes is 'People come into your life for a reason,
a season or a lifetime' It just couldn't be more true.

16. I
always like to sleep in the further side away from the bedroom door both
at home or in hotels. I suppose I feel safest that any monsters will
get him first which is completely rational, of course.

17. I am a wimp when it comes to spicy food, the most I have handle in a curry is tikka and even then it just depends on who's made it!

18. I enjoy the smell of petrol which I appreciate probably isn't the best for you.

19. I have a bit of a 'thing' for cows, I just think they're cute.

20. Due to my travel agent background I know a disturbing amount of airport
codes (three letters that airports use to identify each other)

If you enjoyed this post and would like to read more like it, please click the 'Get To Know Me' label.

Friday, 17 October 2014

Today's post is on my recent work. Ali wanted her nails to correspond with a red dress that she was wearing for a night out but as she was going away for the weekend too she didn't want it to be specific to the dress.

I adore red nails but I do think that it can sometimes be a difficult colour to match with when your client doesn't just want full colour. It goes beautifully with black, silver or gold however I feel like the silver and gold can make it look very 'Christmassy' and the black can make it quite a dark, almost gothic style look depending on how it's worn.

Ali went with Shellac Asphalt on all nails apart from her middle finger which I applied Shellac Hollywood and then Lecente Deep Red Glitter over.

For her little finger I mixed a glitter paste and drew vertical lines down both of them.

On her thumbs she chose a tulip print from MoYou XL Pro 07 which I printed in white and then used the glitter paste to fill in the petals.

The best part was Ali looking at her nails in the end and saying that she wasn't too sure if she would like the grey but she actually loves it!

I hope you've enjoyed this post. Please don't forget to come and follow my Facebook Page to keep up to do with what I'm up to!

Thursday, 16 October 2014

Today's post is on Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water which I've been using for the past two months. Lets put this out there straight away, if you're a beauty junkie like me then you will have already heard of Bioderma which I have also tried.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with micellar waters, they are something you use with cotton pads to remove your make up effectively but gently.

I do feel like relying on a micellar water to remove a full face of make up is a little much so I do just a make up wipe to remove the initial bulk of make up.

I will also use this cleansing water for when I've been in the shower in the morning but for whatever reason not applied my make up for a couple of hours as I like to freshen it up again.

The one point I would say is it's fairly easy to over soak your cotton pad due to the packaging so it would be fantastic if they redesigned the packaging to include a spray.

Comparing it to Bioderma I would say it's extremely similar. I actually believe that the people that think Bioderma is better have been sucked into the hype of it because I really couldn't see a difference. Considering the price comparison I highly recommend you try Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water for yourself.

Wednesday, 15 October 2014

Today's post is on my recent work. Rachael came to her appointment with the knowledge that I had just received loads of new, exciting stock in. I actually get a lot of complaints because they want everything that I show them!

I've gotten to know the type of nails Rachael likes and she adores purples and green/blue tones so amongst the other suggestions I had for her was the Lecente glitter in 'She Devil' which I had bought only the day before.

Rachel also wanted a full nail of the new amazing Lecente Stardust collection shade 'Galaxy' which she decided for the ring finger over Shellac Cream Puff. I truly adore the colours she chose!

I hope you've enjoyed this post. Please don't forget to come and follow my Facebook Page to keep up to do with what I'm up to!

Tuesday, 14 October 2014

I thought I would make today's post my top ten Lecente glitters. I figured it can sometimes be difficult and overwhelming to choose colours so I would put out my recommendations to help you.

Let's just get this out there straight away, without a doubt I would highly recommend their new Stardust collection. If you've somehow missed that post with all of my photos with swatches, click here to read it. On their own and together that are absolutely stunning so I figured if I included them in my top ten it would only leave five spaces for other colours!

Darkest Pink Holographic Glitter

Exactly as the name suggests this stunning magenta, pink/purple is literally mind blowing. I love the holographic elements make this beautiful glitter even more interesting and a such a highly popular shade with clients.

Deep Red Holographic Glitter

I suppose you could class this as a deep red but for me it's Dorothy's shoes from The Wizard Of Oz. Unlike Darkest Pink Holographic glitter it's somehow a little less holographic which I love for the type of colour it is. There is a holograph red but I prefer the deeper version.

Showgirl Multi Glitz Glitter

Although this is from their new collection, it's already a favourite amongst myself and my clients. Showgirl is a bright purple with a hint of blue and a pinch of gold. This glitter is crowd pleaser and very easily adored by all age ranges.

Femme Multi Glitz Glitter

I'd say that Femme is that perfect mix of the lightness of a duck egg blue and then the dark glimmers of a black holographic sparkle. The mix of light and dark means it appeals to a wide range of clients. I have some that will only entertain light shades and some that only appreciate darker nails but this glitter meets in the middle of that for them all.

Violet Ultra Fine Glitter

I chose this glitter because of the perfect Cadbury's purple. You need this one for amazing colour combinations and fades!

Lavender Holographic Glitter

You know when something is that amazing that you buy it again accidentally as you're drawn to it again? Yes I did that with this one! This beautiful lilac shade is good for full nail coverage, a glitter ombre effect or make a paste with it for gorgeous nail art.

Rhubarb Ultra Fine Glitter

Rhubarb is another new edition to the range but it's the exact type that I love, the ones that change the colour underneath when they are are applied. For those of you who are Shellac users, this glitter is a very simular shade to the discontinued colour Iced Coral. It has a peach with a hint of a green undertone with the same sheerness to allow the colour underneath to shine through perfectly, creating endless colour combinations.

She Devil Multi Glitz Glitter

This glitter is an absolute must. If you don't own it, you need to. I would literally say it almost seems like a fifty/fifty mix of blue and purple but it's just absolutely perfect.

Candy Pink Ultra Fine Glitter

I swear this glitter contains actual magic. If you put this over a dark shade like Shellac Midnight Swim the pink dispears and out pops blues and green shimmers. I just can't explain it but it's definitely magic.

Capri Irredecent Glitter

Capri is another one of those amazing multi purpose glitters like Rhubarb that's semi sheer giving that hint of irredecent amazingness over any colour that you pair it with.

I do hope you've enjoyed reading this post and that you found it useful! Don't forget to follow my Facebook Page to for the latest updates of what I'm up for.

Monday, 13 October 2014

Today's post is a few Halloween nail ideas. I'm always on holiday for a couple of weeks in October so it's very rare that I have a moment before I go to talk about designs.

Typically my clients would only be willing to have an accent nail with something in the theme but I wanted to show you what I came up with that would be quick and easy to do. I also wanted to give you a few more suggestions that are always great.

If a client wants something over her enhancements just for the evening then I will often finish them with a acetone proof gel top coat and then use polish for the design so that she can then remove it after the event.

I wanted to mention a couple of stamping plates that I have in my collection that could be good to work into a design. The first is Konad M28 with a skull and crossbones and a spider on. I could have applied a spider onto my freehand web that I drew on the colour pop.

The next plate is Konad M65 for the roses design. It's more of a subtle idea but I can imagine this teamed with black nails and the red roses on a white background... or even black roses! I thought they would be good to go with a 'zombie bride' style costume.

The final plate is Konad plate M5 for the single rose. I would apply this and have blood dripping from it or around it somehow. I also think that those three lines could look like claw marks or scratches.

Last year I did one clients nails with one of the deeper Shellac shades and then created an ombre effect with the black CND Additive so that it was red towards the free edge. It was effective as a Halloween design but still more subtle.

Your imagination could literally run wild with designs. If the client is going to a fancy dress party then you could always look through somewhere like Pinterest to get inspiration.

I hope I've given you some ideas for yourself or your clients!

I hope you've enjoyed this post. Please don't forget to come and follow my Facebook Page to keep up to do with what I'm up to!